William Boiling was born Thame in 6th March 1889 the son of Jane Elizabeth Boiling and baptised 28th July 1898 age 9 years. His mother married James Burnard, a GWR plate layer, on 25th May 1895.

In 1901 the family were living at 46 Park Street (next door to the Four Horse Shoes) and in 1911 at 40 Chinnor Road. I looks likely that William joined the Royal Navy in May 1907 but discharged himself in November the same year.

His regimental number indicates that he joined Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment) in 1908 and saw service in India. 8911 Sergeant William Boiling would have been at the core of the new 2/4th Battalion when it was formed in 1915 and after training he went with the Battalion to France in May 1916.

The Battalion fought in France and Ypres throughout 1916 and 1917 and took the brunt of the German advance of March 1918. William Boiling died of wounds on 19th April 1918. He is buried in Aire Community Cemetery which in 1918 was where the 54th Casualty Clearing Station was based. The town of Aire, for a while, was within 13 kilometres of the German lines.

His gratuity of £24 was paid, in 1919, to his widow Margaret Boiling of Hinkley. William is remembered in Thame on the War Memorial and on the memorial boards of All Saints and St Mary’s churches.